Drazkowski warns of 'extreme environmental advocates' pushing more regulation

In an email to constituents on Sunday, Rep. Steve Drazkowski warns of an effort by government officials and "extreme environmental advocates" to increase environmental regulations that will "undoubtedly include the killing of even more Minnesota jobs."

The Mazeppa Republican is critical of a report recently competed by the Environmental Quality Board that recommends beefing up the board's staffing and improving its transparency. Drazkowski notes in his email that legislation was introduced last session to eliminate the board because its usefulness "has been almost non-existent." He also warns that a series of Environmental Congress meetings around the state are simply a way to legitimize the board.

"As far as I can tell, the efforts by our state government to notify farmers and other business owners throughout the state, about these meetings, has been extremely limited. This may have been by design.  I encourage you to attend one or more of these sessions to represent common sense in the discussions.  Please notify your friends and neighbors in other parts of the state, as well," Drazkowski wrote.

The Rochester meeting is tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to noon at Wood Lake Meeting Center. It appears the Rochester Tea Party Patriots are also skeptical of these Environmental Congress meetings, writing in their weekly newsletter that "this will likely be a put up job with a predetermined outcome."

Ellen Anderson, senior adviser to the governor on energy and environment, said Drazkowski's assertion that notification about the meetings has been limited is "completely false." She said the board has sent out hundreds of email invitations to various stakeholders including farm groups, chambers of commerce, mining groups, environmental groups and energy groups — just to name a few.